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No. 10.]
was restored to his ancestral throne by Alaungsithu, Kyanzittha's grandson and successor, in 1103 A.D., with the aid of 100,000 Pyus and 100,000 Talaings. Hence the fortunate prince is known in history as "Pyu-ta-thein-min," or "Lord of the 100,000 Pyus" (vide page 40, ibid). It is most probable that Meng-di, during whose reign the inscription was set up at Bodh-Gaya, was a descendant of Letyämengnan and was also called a "Pyu-ta-thein-min."
BURMESE INSCRIPTION AT BODH-GAYA.
On the same page, Phayre says: "Alaungsithu caused the Buddhist temple at Gaya to be repaired." I am inclined to think that, on that occasion, the King of Pagan deputed the Mahathera Pinthagugyi to superintend the work, and that he required his protege, Letyämengnan, to render the necessary assistance in this work of merit. It would then appear that the "Thadomin " mentioned in the inscription was a descendant of Letyämengnan, the Prince, who first bore the title of " Pyu-ta-thein-min" or "Lord of the 100,000 Pyus."
It is quite possible that one of the conditions of Letyamengnan's restoration to the Arakanese throne was that, for the accumulation of merit of Alaungsithu, his suzerain and benefactor, he and his descendants were to render material assistance in the repair and maintenance of the temple at Bodh-Gaya. Viewed in this light, the chronology of the inscription and the raison d'être of the proceedings recorded therein become clear, reasonable, and logical.
TEXT.
thathanā 218 lunlie-pyithaw aklahnaik sambuteik
1 Purhathikhin asoyathaw Si
2 ridhammasoka myithaw Mingyi seti shatthanng 4 danng aphaw hnaik
3 sumtaw phonpieră Payatha i-tango akha liemyin pyet
4 rwe myinthaw thikhin Pinthakugyi tayauk. Thopyiy tachet py
5 etkheraga Thadomin pyu-i. Thopyi(y) tachet pyetkhedōn
6 raga Sinbyuthikhin Tra Mingyi mimi kosa sira siridhamma
7 rajakurugo siytaw mulatthaw akhahnaik pa-la
8 t thaw tabetha Sirikassapasa thi lok antha utsa hilyet
9 malok radat raga Varavasi thikhin therago sum kham siyraga Pu
119
10 tathin min hu-i lok siykamu thikhin nge ko myatkyi The(ra) ko
11 akhwin puraga Sakarac 657 khu pyatholazan 10 rak thaukkyaniy pyndôn-i
16 sao-i. Akhakhaptheir hlin thinbôkwut mapyat tisinthaw
17 kraang mrie kyun nwado ko le way ruy hlukbe. I nga pyu
kyungo
12 Sakarac 660 Tazaungmonlazan 8 rak tahninganu ni(y) hlu-sathaw
13 takhunkuka takhunpyadoko le pusao-i. Thinbôk thaung simi
14 thaungdo akyein myaswa hlin pusao-i. Thathami hu hmat rwe thungè 2
15 yauk shwepan ngwepan khwet paso swèthaw padetha le pu
18 thaw kaunghmuga Nippan pyitsi athauk apin phyitchin tha
19 te. Yat (meik) ti purhathikhin letthet hlin rahandāsu lothate.
TRANSLATION.
1 When 218 years of the era of the Religion of the Lord Buddha had passed away, Siridhammāsoka, the Ruler of Jambudipa,
2 built 84,000 chaityas, one of which was situated on the site,
3 where the Buddha took a meal (of rice porridge offered by Sujata before attaining Enlightenment). This shrine, owing to the effluxion of time, fell into rain,
4 and was repaired by the Mahathera Pinthagugyi. Subsequently, 5 it was repaired by Thadomin. It again fell into disrepair,